


Meeting the Avengers

by merthurxmalec



Series: Iron dad, Spider son, and maybe-possibly-hopefully (Captain) Step dad Steve [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Gen, It's a work in progress, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Meets the Avengers, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Steve is just trying, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, and he's sad, cos he wants his husband back, endgame who? idk her, sad Steve Rogers, set after homecoming but nothing after that happens, stevetony if you squint, they got issues to deal with first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 04:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19266121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merthurxmalec/pseuds/merthurxmalec
Summary: Today, June 18 2019, is a day that will go down in history because today is the group cheerily being dubbed as the ‘Rogue Avengers’ by the media will be making their not-so-triumphant return to American soil after years of being on the run.Peter was looking forward to it about as much as he looks forward to his visits to the dentist. That is to say, not very much.~or, Peter meets the Avengers.





	Meeting the Avengers

**Author's Note:**

> I am now going to ignore that Endgame ever happened and create my own universe where everyone is happy and healthy. Or they will be, eventually. 
> 
> Not beta'd as usual.

Peter was nervous.

 

To be fair, for someone who fights criminals on a daily basis, and super-villains on a semi bi-weekly basis _(sneaking around Mr Stark is hard, okay?!)_ he was nervous a lot. Happens when you get bitten by a radioactive spider at age 14, gain superpowers which dial every one of your senses to eleven and then also end up somehow acquiring a mentor/father figure who flies around encased in a metal suit of armour fighting super villains and aliens on a daily basis.

 

Peter was a teenage anxiety-ridden mess, the true epitome of a Gen-Z kid. So yeah, he was, and always will be, a nervous-wreck.

 

But there is a difference between being-nervous-because-Tony-Stark-is-attending-his-parent-teacher-conference and being nervous because he is about to meet his childhood superheroes.

 

Somehow, Peter Parker’s life became weird enough for the later to be an occurrence.

 

Here is the thing – today, June 18 2019, is a day that will go down in history because today is the group cheerily being dubbed as the ‘Rogue Avengers’ by the media will be making their not-so-triumphant return to American soil after years of being on the run.

 

Peter was looking forward to it about as much as he looks forward to his visits to the dentist. That is to say, not very much.

 

It’s not so much that Peter doesn’t want to meet the Avengers, because of course he does. Peter was no older than 10 when the Avengers had first fought Loki’s Chitauri army in Manhattan all those years ago, and since that day forth Peter lived and breathed the Avengers. His room had already been an Iron Man shrine prior to that day, but afterwards it was as if Avengers Wonderland had vomited in his room. He had begged Uncle Ben and Aunt May to buy him Avengers bedsheets, he slept with a Hulk plushie and Captain America pyjamas. Ned had gifted Peter a miniature version of Thor’s cape and Hammer for his 12thbirthday, and Peter has kept it safe (and hidden from Mr Stark’s snooping) till this day. He had even dressed up as Iron Man for 2 Halloweens straight, stopping only when he grew out of his costume, replacing it with a full Captain America costume, shield and all.

 

(Aunt May had shown those pictures to Mr Stark, to Peter’s horror and embarrassment. Tony had not stopped feigning hurt about “being replaced by Captain America” for weeks).

 

So yes, the Avengers were his heroes, the people he looked up to, the people he sought to be when he had first taken up this superheroing business. But overtime, Peter has realised that there is some truth to the saying that you should “never meet your heroes.”

 

Some truth, because meeting Mr Stark had been one of the best moments of Peter’s life and he could never regret that. Tony Stark was his hero long before Iron Man was, and meeting both Tony Stark and Iron Man was not, and could never, be disappointing. When Tony had saved a barely-six-year-old-Peter at the Stark Expo all those years ago, a new door of imagination had been opened in Peter’s mind. Iron Man, mighty and glorious in his full red and gold regalia, making a heroic entry to save the day. When Peter sat beside his parents’ grave, and later his Uncle’s, he imagined Iron Man coming in to save the day, save him from the collapsing grief that was swallowing him whole.

 

And then Iron Man had, and Peter retained faith in his childhood idols.

 

But spending time with Mr Stark, seeing the grief that he had buried deep inside him following Germany, Peter found something else out – that all his heroes weren’t as glorious and unbreakable as he had thought.

 

Peter had seen Mr Stark in the direct aftermath of his one-on-one fight with Captain America, had seen the cuts and bruises that had littered his face. Had seen the way he winced when he moved. Had seen the suit Peter knows he was wearing that day standing in shame in the lab, broken and destroyed, a large crack running along the centre where his heart should have been.

 

Captain America had broken Iron Man’s heart, both literally and figuratively.

 

Over the last two years Peter had had the opportunity to know Tony personally, in a familial manner. Peter loves Tony Stark, as a father he doesn’t remember having. Mr Stark is a light that allows himself to be snuffed out so that others can shine, who loves and loves and loves, and gives and gives and gives, without ever expecting anything in return. Peter doesn’t think he can trust anyone who doesn’t see the same thing he does.

 

But the Avengers are coming back, and Mr Stark is retreating back into himself, building a wall around his heart that Peter doesn’t know if he can break.

 

The Avengers are coming back, and Peter is nervous and he’s excited and he’s scared.

 

He breaks away from his thoughts when he feels a solid hand rest on his shoulders, calloused fingers tracing soothing circles on his shoulders.

 

“It’s be fine, Pete,” Tony says.

 

He wants to say _yes, it’ll be fine, they won’t hurt you anymore,_ but he doesn’t. He knows Tony won’t believe him.

 

They all come in together, as a group and unit – the family Peter remembers imagining. Peter’s eyes are drawn immediately to Bruce Banner, standing a little further from the rest of the group, a few steps behind Thor. He is the first one to approach Tony, both friends moving in unison to wrap their arms around each other. They hug only for a split second, and yet Peter sees some of the tension seep out of Tony’s rigid frame.

 

“I missed you too, Brucie Bear,” Tony says, and Dr Banner smiles as he says sincerely, “it’s good to see you, Tony.”    

 

Tony smirks, and his eyes dart over to Peter. “Come along,” he says, “there is someone I want you to meet.”

 

He ignores the rest of the Avengers still, leading Bruce by the hand until he is standing in front of Peter.

 

Dr Bruce Banner. Standing in front of Peter.

 

“Ohmygod,” Peter says “ _you are Dr Bruce Banner, most renowned scientist in the world!”_

 

Dr Banner looks a little surprised by Peter’s exclamation, and Peter chides himself for a moment for being such a hopeless fanboy.

 

“You know who I am?” Dr Banner asks, his voice small and full of wonder.

 

“Of course I do! We have your picture up on my classroom wall. And I read all your papers! Your paper on genetic modification of proteins to treat types of cancer is fascinating!”

 

Tony laughs. “The kid is surrounded by the best engineers in the world, and I lost him to biophysics because of you.”

 

“I am going to study biophysics and chemical engineering at MIT from this fall,” he adds as an explanation, when Bruce’s eyes go even wider at Tony’s comment.

 

“Pete, you planning on giving Brucie Bear here an introduction before he Hulks out because of sheer curiosity and confusion?”

 

“Oh!” Peter exclaims, “I am so sorry, this was incredibly rude of me! I am Peter Parker. It is so nice to finally meet you, Dr Banner, sir.”

 

Bruce shakes Peter’s outstretched hand. “Please call me Bruce, Peter. It is great to meet you, too.”

 

Peter nods solemnly, “thank you, Dr Bruce.”

 

“Yeah, good luck with getting him to call you by your name. I’ve been trying to make him call me ‘Tony’ for two years.” Tony laughs again, and Peter feels a little bit of his nervousness diminish. It all comes back when Captain America steps into the frame.

 

Tony’s entire body goes rigid the moment his eyes meet the Captain’s, and he unwillingly steps protectively in front of Peter. Peter knows the Captain noticed too, because his shoulders drop, his eyes holding a grief that makes Peter feel almost sorry for him.

 

 “Captain,” Tony nods, his voice flat and emotionless.

 

“Tony,” Captain Rogers says, his voice almost breathless. He says Mr Stark’s name with a tone of reverence, of awe and something else Peter can’t quite pin point. It is such a stark contrast to the way Peter knows he has treated Tony; the grief he knows he has caused Tony.

 

The two men stare at each other for what feels like a lifetime, having a silent communication that no other person in the room seems to be privy too. The others are all averting their gazes, the Falcon and Black Widow and Scarlet Witch all looking anywhere else but at the two men, the Winter Soldier ten steps behind everyone else, staring at the floor. Peter, on the other hand, cannot stop staring. There’s a tension palpable between the two men, a raw feeling bursting out in waves.

 

Finally, he breaks the moment, stepping out from behind Tony and looking directly into the eyes of Captain America.

 

“Captain Rogers, sir,” Peter starts, holding out his hand. “I am Peter Parker.”

 

The Captain breaks his eyes away from where they were holding Tony’s gaze, instead shifting on Peter. He looks a bit confused, like everyone else, but his eyes are deep and expressive and open. He shakes Peter’s hand, smiling warmly at him as he says “nice to you meet you Peter. Please call me Steve.”

 

“Captain Rogers,” Peter says deliberately, “likewise.”

 

Mr Stark is holding onto Peter’s shoulders, grounding who Peter does not know.

 

“Tony,” Black Widow says, “why is there a kid in the Compound?”

 

“The kid,” Tony says, “is my personal intern. He has full access to any and all parts of the Compound, including the labs, apart from Bruce’s which require Bruce’s express permission to enter. Your rooms are exactly how you left them; the kitchen is stocked with anything you might need to cook if you want to. If not, just leave your orders with Friday and she’ll order anything you’ll need. Make yourselves at home.”

 

“Tony,” Rogers calls out, just as Mr Stark is about to leave the room. “Will you be joining us for lunch?”

 

“No can do, Captain,” Tony says with a false cheer. “I spend weekends with the kid.”

 

Captain Rogers looks crushed, and Tony looks almost guilty.

 

He stops just as he is passing Sergeant Barnes, still hanging near the door. “I took the liberty of assigning you to the room next to Rogers’,” he says, not looking at Barnes. “Let Friday know anything you need, and she’ll order it for you.”

 

He doesn’t wait for Sergeant Barnes to reply, exiting the room with Peter in tow.

 

* * *

 

 

The room erupts into chaos as soon as Tony leaves.

 

“Where the hell did Stark get a kid?” Sam says first.

 

“He’s his intern,” Bruce says a little coldly, looking uncomfortable with the direction he knows the discussion is going.

 

“The kid is clearly in high school,” Natasha says contemplatively. “Stark Industries doesn’t employ high school kids.”

 

“Maybe that is his son,” Sam continues. “They do look similar.”

 

“Mr Parker is not Mr Stark’s biological son,” Vision says.

 

“But you know who he is,” says Wanda, not a question but rather an observation.

 

“Enough!” Steve shouts suddenly. “Tony has allowed us into his home when he certainly did not have to. We will allow him what privacy he wants. If he says the kid is his intern, the kid is his intern. I want to hear nothing else about this.”

 

“But Steve,” Natasha says, “Tony is hiding something. I know you can sense it too. Are you telling me you don’t want to know what it is?”

 

“I am telling you,” Steve elucidates, “that we have all kept secrets from Tony, which entitle Tony to not trust us. But I trust Tony, and I trust that if he is hiding something about Peter from us, it is not something he feels we need to know.”

 

“The good Captain is right,” Thor says. “The Man of Iron is respectful of our cause. If it is something that we need to know, he would inform us of it. We must trust him on this.”

 

The Avengers all nod, dissipating off to their rooms. Steve looks around the place that he had come to call home. In the last couple of months, when coming back home had become a possibility, Steve had done nothing but imagine the moment. He had imagined a rush of happiness to overcome him as he walked inside, of feeling the restlessness that had been ripping him into shreds finally subsiding. And yet, the moment he had locked eyes on Tony, had seen Tony treat him so coldly, he knew that he had not come home, not yet.

 

He would do anything to change that.

 

**Author's Note:**

> so there will be more parts added to this, focused around Peter meeting and bonding with the Avengers. also playing cupid with his dad and possible step dad, so if anyone has any prompts or ideas comment them below or send them over to my Tumblr: starsinourinfinities


End file.
